Issue 241

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ISSUE 241 JANUARY2020

GROUND TO AIR CONVENIENCE FIREFLY’S MANAGEMENT GEARED UP TO COMPLEMENT AIRLINES INDUSTRY IN 2020

ANIL NAIR HEAD, GROUND OPERATIONS FIREFLY MALAYSIA

CAPTAIN MOHD ARIFFATHILLAH JAMEL HEAD, FLIGHT OPERATIONS FIREFLY MALAYSIA

MUIZZUDDIN MAHMUD HEAD, SALES FIREFLY MALAYSIA

NADIAH ABDUL RAZZAK CFO FIREFLY MALAYSIA

ISMAIL FAHMI ABDUL RAHMAN HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCE FIREFLY MALAYSIA

VENICE CHONG HEAD, IT & DISTRIBUTION FIREFLY MALAYSIA

SUFIRA IBRAHIM HEAD, NETWORK & REVENUE MANAGEMENT FIREFLY MALAYSIA

PHILIP SEE CEO FIREFLY MALAYSIA

AZMI JUSOH HEAD, ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE FIREFLY MALAYSIA

IZRA IZZUDDIN HEAD, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS FIREFLY MALAYSIA

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ISSUE 241// JANUARY2020

COVER STORY

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Regional CEO Professor Harmandar Singh ham@adoimagazine.com Business Development Managers Jarrod Sunil Solomon jarrod@adoimagazine.com Sandesh Singh sandesh@adoimagazine.com Chief Content Officer Vasuki Rao vasuki@adoimagazine.com

GUEST EDITOR'S NOTE

BETTER YEAR, IS THAT YOU?

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Art Director / Designer Chemical Ali ali@adoimagazine.com

CHANGING THE FLYING LANDSCAPE WITH A NEIGHBOURHOOD AIRPORT

BEST MERDEKA TVC OF THE YEAR

‘GETARAN PERTAMA’ THE GOOSEBUMPS INDUCING MERDEKA AD In Malaysia, ads during the festive season are comparable to ads during the Superbowl in the US. Every year, as each major holiday approaches, Malaysians look forward...

Designer Lilna Marlina lilna@adoimagazine.com Events & Workshops Ruby Lim ruby@adoimagazine.com Web & Digital: Nurul Amira Ibrahim

CANNES 2020

amira@adoimagazine.com

Attend

Enter

2020 Themes

Learn

Opportunities

Apply to speak

Account

Buy a Pass

Passes

CREATIVITY IS THE

Photography & Digital Imaging DL Studio No 7, Jalan PJU 3/50, Sunway Damansara 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E. Malaysia Tel +603 7880 6380 / 6386, Email: studiodl@pd.jaring.my

BUSINESS GROWTH ENGINE

09 12

Roving Photographer: Mccain Goh Printer: Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd 22, Jalan Kepong, Taman Sri Ehsan, 52100 Kuala Lumpur Distribution: Spear Millennium Distribution Sdn Bhd E-1-5, Apartment AC4, Taman Sri Sentosa, Batu 6, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd (5048-A) Ground Floor Warehouse, Bangunan TH No. 5, Jalan Bersatu, Section 13/4

THE NEXT BEST THING

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Debora Koyama, Chief Marketing O�cer, Europe, Mondelez

THE TONE FOR CANNES LION 2020 HAS BEEN SET WITH This theme will investigate...

THESE 8 THEMES International

46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia MARKETING magazine is published by Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd 22B, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad Satu, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 603-7726 2588 Fax: 603-7722 5712 www.marketingmagazine.com.my © All Rights Reserved By: Sledgehammer Communications (M) Sdn Bhd (289967-W) No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions and/ or for any consequences of reliance upon information in this publication.

The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

MARKETING magazine is available across 200 selected bookstores in the Klang Valley.

"The CMO agenda is the business growth agenda. Which means we need to drive impact, top line acceleration and return on investment."

The Cannes Lion content hastocarried substantial research with more thanbrand 1500 industry individuals to develop eight ...the roleteam of marketers de�ne howout creativity can support both short-term activities and long-term equity, to have a better level of in�uence in thewere boardroom; how creatives can support them in achieving sustained growth.

2020 Festival themes. Detailed interviews alsoandconducted with more than 100 industry-leading Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Creative Officers, brand leaders, strategists and CEOs to structure the themes around the most business-critical areas of branded marketing and communications to drive the creative agenda globally....

Creativity at Cannes Lions is far more than a 30-second LOCAL BRAND SUCCESS

ad. In fact, it’s hardly ever a 30-second ad. It’s a survival

BORN AT HOME, RAISED TO KEEP ON GROWING

mechanism. Applied properly, it’s transformative. It

DAIRY COMPANY ANCHORS HOME BAKERS THROUGH ENDORSEMENT It was the perfect lesson in supply and demand when Major (Rtd) Shera Ann Bosco turned to social media in search for a solution to her problem - she needed a babysitter to take care of her then 6-year-old son but didn’t know whom to trust. What she was really looking for was another mom that could babysit her son.

The luxury of being a working mom in Malaysia, isn’t as common as one...

solves big business problems. It requires complete organisational focus.

It is also arguably the best (sometimes only) way to drive non-incremental growth.

Becoming a household name is a standard of success most businesses hope to achieve. Mr. DIY, keeping true to its tongue in cheek marketing taglines and creative product showcasing, has taken it a step further by becoming a household name for household items, across Asia....

We will explore Speakers and organisations who have used creativity

But, as you know, it requires a long-term, enterprisewide commitment and often a complete re-engineering of business models, mindsets and culture. Marketers must de�ne how creativity can support both shortterm activities and long-term brand equity to have a better level of in�uence in the boardroom. We need to focus on the “marketing of marketing and creativity” in order to gain credibility; but this must always be backed by business results. Creativity needs a new vocabulary: one that resonates with the C-suite.

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ISSUE241JANUARY2020

GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE

TWO THINGS “AREONLYINFINTE, THE UNIVERSE AND HUMAN STUPIDITY, AND I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THE FORMER.

”

ALBERT EINSTEIN

One of the editor’s personal favourite photographs of Henri Cartier Bresson.

May you walk through the new decade with the same confidence and grin as this child did in 1954 Paris.

BETTER YEAR, IS THAT YOU?

I am writing this editor’s note from a hospital bed, currently being prepped for surgery to be conducted for my fractured and dislodged ankle bone caused by an unfortunate fall just before the new year.

For someone who in past, has never been excited about stepping into a new year, because the concept of time is socially constructed and is mostly just another opportunity for businesses to push their marketing schemes on naive and excited consumers, this time around I was ecstatic. 2019 was rough and I was ready for 2020 to be easier. Ooops.

I imagine there is a similar 25 year old living either in the south east or north west of me, just as excited for the new decade, but whose reality was even more dramatically shaken by their country either being on fire or possibly heading to war due to geo politics.

It was tempting for us to focus our January issue of MARKETING Magazine Asia on the terrible things that are surfacing globally as we step into a new decade. However, we resisted and decided that it was instead the time to celebrate inspiring Malaysians and homegrown brands.

The process of creating the content for this issue involved us sitting down with several business owners, trend starters and change makers. It was a refreshing process filled with honest conversations, quirky exchanges and humble beginnings.

I hope as you flip through these pages, you too are inspired to start the thing you’ve been thinking about doing, or take control of your business growth and see the most rewarding year yet. Enjoy!

“SAYA TARIK BALIK.” MOST ABUSED PARLIAMENT PHRASE IN 2019

NOTHING WRONG “WITH CHINESE NEW YEAR DECORATIONS IN SCHOOLS. ” COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA MINISTER YB GOBIND SINGH DEO

SCAN AND SAVE THE DATES!

Vertical story telling

by Tay Guan Hin Founder of TGH Collective

APPIES Marketing Campaigns Awards

Advanced Marketing Masterclass by Anser Aly

Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer - The Growth

Strategic Brand Planning Workshop by Sutapa

18 February

10 April

Copywriting Workshop

by Farrokh Madon Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Wunderman Thompson Singapore

B2B Digital Marketing by Hando Sinisalu

Founder and CEO of Best Marketing International

&

20 21

April

15 June

Dragons Marketing Awards of Asia & Malaysia

Making Good Presentations Great Workshop by Joe Najib

14 August

01 September

23 October

20 October

Trainer - PowerPoint Presentations at JNPowerpointTraining

General Manager (Strategic Communication & Branding) at TNB

Malaysian Media Conference (MMC) & MMC Hall of Fame Awards

Young Spikes Night 2020

03 July

14 July

CMO Conference & Awards 2020

27 November

CHANGING THE FLYING LANDSCAPE WITH A NEIGHBOURHOOD AIRPORT

Firefly is a 12-year old subsidiary of the Malaysia Aviation Group that operates from its main hub Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang and offers predominantly domestic flights. A vibrant and friendly airline that goes beyond boundaries, Firefly is a preferred choice for corporate travellers who find the value in flying from an airport that is closer to central Kuala Lumpur and is also known for being a full-service airline with competitive prices.

By VASUKI RAO

SITUATED in a humble office inside of Citta Mall, conveniently less than five kilometers away from Subang Airport, is Firefly’s headquarters. The quirky office’s lobby is designed to imitate the entrance and exits of an aircraft, and its employees are all on the same floor.

MARKETING Magazine had the privilege of sitting down with Firefly’s Management team to find out what they’re up to as the new decade approaches and dive deep into its philosophy operations and marketing strategy with Firefly CEO, Philip See, who was appointed earlier this year, and Firefly’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Izra Izzuddin.

Starting off with you, Philip, you were appointed in January this year which means it’s your first anniversary as the CEO. What do you know now that you didn’t in January?

Philip: I didn’t know it was going to be such a tough job (laughs).

I know better now that if you embrace and understand the details of the business, you will enjoy the business and the work much more. I was a strategy guy, mostly thinking about the big picture. When I took on this role, I realised I couldn’t just do that, and that I really had to understand the operational and people side. Also, I knew managing people was very important but I didn’t know it was that important.

I’ve learned that it’s super critical to manage people and manage teams, and it was something I didn’t know required so much time and investment.

Is there something about how you manage people that you’ve picked up with your role?

Philip: You have to be very situational when it comes to managing people. Sometimes you let go and sometimes you

have to even micromanage. It’s about the balance of having trust but also a healthy level of skepticism. For me, the key learning was to be very situational in how I manage and interact with people.

What are some of the different approaches you had to take when transforming the business at Firefly compared to your experience in business turnaround at MAS? Philip: To be very clear, in this one year, we haven’t really completed the transformation and I’ll even say that the transformation will never be complete, because its an evolving program that’s always looking at ways to reinvent itself. Firefly is very different from MAS or MAB and because it’s smaller, decision making is much faster. Teams here are more open and agile, which is one of the advantages of any organisation like this, where everyone sits on the same floor, where the teams work very well together, and things move much faster.

But with the small size also comes the challenge of scale. The question on trying to pursue growth, innovation or investments, becomes more of a different challenge altogether. So you have to really hyper innovate and think out of the box if you want to drive change.

On how you said the transformation never ends, what would you say is the role of a CEO in an environment like this?

Philip: If you look at the past 12 years of Firefly’s history, it’s had its ups and down - at one time it was expanding, then it contracted. So really for me, you must have the license to grow. The key priority here is to build an agile organisation and to essentially be able to create some stability while injecting creativity throughout the process.

FROM LEFT: NADIAH ABDUL RAZZAK (CFO), IZRA IZZUDDIN (HEAD, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS), CAPTAIN MOHD ARIFFATHILLAH JAMEL (HEAD, FLIGHT OPERATIONS), ISMAIL FAHMI ABDUL RAHMAN (HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCE), AZMI JUSOH (HEAD, ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE), VENICE CHONG (HEAD, IT & DISTRIBUTION), SUFIRA IBRAHIM (HEAD, NETWORK & REVENUE MANAGEMENT), ANIL NAIR (HEAD, GROUND OPERATIONS), MUIZZUDDIN MAHMUD (HEAD, SALES) AND PHILIP SEE (CEO)

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ISSUE241JANUARY2020

PHILIP SEE CEO, FIREFLY MALAYSIA

AZMI JUSOH HEAD, ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE FIREFLY MALAYSIA

CAPTAIN MOHD ARIFFATHILLAH JAMEL HEAD, FLIGHT OPERATIONS FIREFLY MALAYSIA

ANIL NAIR HEAD, GROUND OPERATIONS FIREFLY MALAYSIA

ISMAIL FAHMI ABDUL RAHMAN HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCE FIREFLY MALAYSIA

SUFIRA IBRAHIM HEAD, NETWORK & REVENUE MANAGEMENT FIREFLY MALAYSIA

NADIAH ABDUL RAZZAK CFO FIREFLY MALAYSIA

How has Firefly’s business been since resuming flights to Singapore via Seletar airport?

Philip: Before Seletar, we were operating 10 flights a day and the resumption was 6 flights. So we’re not yet back to full production of where we were. The customers that travel on that route are mostly corporate because they love the fact that the airport is so convenient. But since it’s a new airport, it takes time to develop and create awareness as a whole.

What we see is a lot more repeat customers, because once you’ve tried it, you typically never go back to Changi.

So really for us it’s about a steady climb back to its full capacity and potential.

Firefly uses ATR aircraft, meant for low and short distance. Are there plans to use new aircraft and/or fly to further destinations?

Philip: There are no immediate plans for new aircraft.

The strategy in the immediate term is based on the fact that ATRs have a range of one to one and a half hours of flying. Hence, for us, our growth plan is mainly to improve connectivity from secondary cities all across Peninsular Malaysia.

That’s why this year we launched

Penang-Kuantan and our JB to Kota Bahru flights.

The immediate strategy is to strengthen our Subang Hub and consolidate that, while beginning to do some interesting expansions in major secondary cities in Peninsular Malaysia.

How do you feel about self-service (self-check in booths, self-service baggage drop-offs)? Will Firefly be introducing more self-service options at airports?

Philip: We operate mostly from Subang, which is a small airport. So for our customers, time is super important. Being able to offer our customers time efficiency - getting them in and out really fast - is very critical. The interesting thing you’ll find here is that because our flight time is short, the ground operations experience is very important. So how do we begin all these selfservice elements? We can’t look at it as doing it just at the airport but also pre-airport. So when we think about the customer experience where time is important, we ask ourselves how are we going to deliver the efficiency right at the beginning of the whole process.

At the Subang airport, there are self check-in kiosks already

in place.The challenge is, in order to take it to the next level with for example, self check-ins at the gates itself, it requires investment in technology. So the ROI has to be played in view of how simple things already are and the case to invest more, diminishes over a period of time. Since you’ve already reduced the time, saving an extra 30 seconds by investing X amount isn’t easily justified.

Adding to this question was Firefly’s Head of Ground Operations, Anil Nair...

Anil: Currently if you fly with Firefly, you can check-in earlier and print your boarding pass at the airport. However, we want to move towards a paperless process. But for this, we aren’t the only player in the airport. I think AirAsia has tried something before, by installing their own hardware. However, the lead needs to come from the airport itself. We have raised this with Malaysian Airports as there is a National Aviation Consultative Council.

How do your employees react to these changes?

Philip: Generally our employees love the concept of automation. An interesting thing about the airline industry is that

a lot of the functions are required from a regulatory standpoint.

Here, automation is designed to make their jobs much easier, allowing them to spend more time doing value-adding work rather than doing manual actions and activities. People tend to embrace it because there are a lot of other parts of the business that are growing and the intention is to re-skill and move people to other aspects of the job where there is demand.

Do you think it’s more difficult for employees to accept changes than customers?

Philip: I think there’s a venn diagram where they both intersect.

The key really is the right change at the right time and how you deliver it.

Anil: I think whatever change we implement is to the benefit of the customer, making their experience more simple. With employees, when something new comes up, it’s something new they have to remember.

What kind of disruptions do you foresee the airline industry facing in this new decade?

Philip: I see three things really.

One is the environment, the really big push for sustainability.

Second, I feel the biggest disruption will be the brand.

There is a huge perception that “I fly because of the brand” but I believe over time, as customers have more choice, the fear is the commoditization of all these experiences.

The third biggest one is people. In terms of resources and organisation, the employee base is changing. Managing, retaining and building talent is going to be the biggest disruption to the business.

Anil: I think another concern is our competition, not airlines wise but ground transport. For example, in Johor if they start the high speed rail, which could cut the journey to a little over two hours, the question on convenience when it comes to the whole process of flying which includes getting to an airport in time, checking in and going through more than one security checkpoint, over the process of taking the train.

How does big data change the way airlines operate?

Can we foresee prices being changed depending on who’s purchasing an airline ticket?

Philip: The bigger challenge here is analysing and using the

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“So we always look at three areas when exploring partnerships. One that delivers last mile connections well; the other is along the lines of hotels and theme parks, anything that elevates the travel experience and finally, whatever enables us to expand our distribution.”

data correctly. In the airline industry, there’s already quite a bit of data. More importantly, the question is whether or not the data can be collaboratively used with other relevant partners.

For me, fundamentally big data is about analysing it and then using it to make structural calls.

If we can use data to make forecasting and predictions, that is super important, be it on the maintenance side for how we do aircraft maintenance, managing disruptions in travel, like seeing a certain weather pattern and realising an indication of possible disruption and also how we manage operations in terms forecasting the demand.

What’s the plan for Firefly’s mobile app?

Philip: There will be a redesign of the app this year and for us currently our penetration is pretty decent compared to others and we really want to double that penetration. It’s very important to us because it enables us to build a direct relationship with our customers through the device they use all the time.

Are there any 2020 collaboration plans in Firefly’s business strategy?

Philip: So when we frame it from a collaboration standpoint, we always look at it through the financial lens. Plus, Firefly is relatively small compared to other airlines and it can be said that our priority is time. So when we think about collaborations, it’s about those that enable us to deliver better time efficiencies.

Last mile connections and hotels in all shapes and forms are super important. Essentially, a lot of the partnerships that enable us to expand distribution is very important. So we always look at three areas when exploring partnerships. One that delivers last mile connections well; the other is along the lines of hotels and theme parks, anything that elevates the travel experience and finally, whatever enables us to expand our distribution.

What are the upcoming innovations on products, services and business development you believe Firefly should implement?

Philip: So how we go about this is by being very clear on what our core segments are. When you think about what works in Subang, our core segments are corporate or pleasure; it’s also about groups of people such as senior citizens;

it’s also about segments like young families. So when we think about product development, we have to factor these in. We can’t disclose everything that’s currently in the pipeline, but we always think in terms of these segments while also making sure there is universal application. For example, we recently did an installment program where you can pay in installment for six months, which is mostly targeted at big families.

Izra, can you describe Firefly’s marketing strategy in three words?

Izra: I would say dynamic, innovative and convenient.

Firefly’s new campaign – “Discovery – See It, Hear It, Sense It, Feel It, Touch It, Taste It” – can you tell us more about how this fits in with both Firefly’s 2020 direction and Visit Malaysia 2020?

Izra: The interesting part about this campaign is, we actually introduced it even before Tourism Malaysia introduced the VMY2020 direction. Every year we introduce a direction for our marketing strategy and it stays for one year.

This time, when we heard about VMY’s 2020 direction, we as a team decided to extend it to 2020.

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COVER STORY

The campaign is pretty much about domestic travels. As you know, Firefly is a predominantly domestic airline and we only have about three regional routes.

Looking at the six pillars in the campaign title, we made it all about discovering the gems of our country. So it goes back to what we need to know and appreciate more about Malaysia, especially in Peninsular.

This is not to say we are not talking about Sabah and Sarawak, but because there is MAS Wings and Malaysia Airlines on that side of the country, we work together to contribute to the whole direction, hence Fly Malaysia, as sort of a group brand campaign for 2020.

Specifically in terms of discovery, I would say there are three key things that we’re looking at for next year that complement the six pillars that we have: Leisure, Medical and Education tourism.

How does Firefly compete with its competitors in, through marketing?

Izra: The airline industry alone is very competitive. I wouldn’t say that we’re not competing with anyone at all, instead we focus on complementing the market’s needs.

We position ourselves as having our own strengths while other airlines have their own.

However, I will say there are a few elements that we have and our competitors don’t. We are not low cost, but our price is competitive and we offer full service.

We make sure that when people look for flights and land on our website, it is user friendly enough because 90 percent of our bookings are made on our website and mobile app.

Hence we carry that ‘beyond convenience’ philosophy up to the payment stage and beyond.

As Philip mentioned, we’ve also just introduced our easy payment which is an instalment plan as low as 500 ringgit, allowing consumers to pay monthly within six months.

That alone is attractive enough to target the mass market. This is how we’re looking at bringing what others don’t have.

Besides that, we focus on our people, making sure the service and warmth they provide influences our consumers’ trip from the ground to the air.

Another obvious point I’d like to add is that we’re located in Subang - that’s our winning factor.

I’m curious, how do airlines feel about tertiary booking websites? Is it a good thing they exist so there are more platforms promoting your flights or would you prefer if the process was streamlined

through just your website?

Izra: Definitely, we would like people to come to the website because we are the main channel and because we own the business here. But you also have to work with partners like Traveloka, Expedia and Skyscanner as they complement the business and the revenue we get. For example, we’re currently working with Traveloka for marketing campaigns.

We’re ensuring they don’t dilute the business that we are making just because consumers can look for Firefly elsewhere.

So we make sure that what we offer on our website is different.

We tend to offer promotions exclusively on our website, such as free lounge access.

What are some of the most successful marketing campaigns Firefly has executed?

Izra: I would say when it comes to successful marketing campaigns, we are not just looking at it from a revenue driven perspective but also noise driven.

One of the biggest was “Live the High Life with Firefly” which involved three celebrities and even featured a competition where winners could go on a holiday with these celebrities. The celebrities we used in the campaign represented the three segments we focus on and it was a huge success. Another one was in 2017 where everyone gets a prize. It was set up in a way that after all the noise we made in 2016, in 2017 it was all about the customers. We made sure and as long as they bought one ticket, they would get something. This campaign was what won us the Consumer Awards 2017 and was also submitted and won at the Malaysian CMO Awards 2018.

(Editor’s Note: Izra also won a Special Mention Award at the Malaysian CMO Awards in 2018) This year we did the “Dump your Ex” campaign where we were able to get 54% of consumers from the other airline that is also flying out of Subang Airport and the remaining 46% consists of a combination from the other airlines flying out of KLIA2 and KLIA. What other plans do you have for Firefly’s Marketing strategy this year?

Izra: Yes, since we are not as big as the other airlines, we can’t work on everything on our own. We are working with federal and state tourism as well as other entities to maximise mileage, not just on the flights but also beyond that.

It is very interesting that we are not competing with our sister company or mother company but rather looking at more ways to complement what they offer.

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planning on tasting the cakes since I had a panel of chefs who would be the judges. But when I went in, I was overwhelmed with the presentation, the professionalism, and at the same time, the passion. So I took some meds and I tried all thirty of them.

THE NEXT BIG THING

IT was the perfect lesson in supply and demand when Major (Rtd) Shera Ann Bosco turned to social media in search for a solution to her problem - she needed a babysitter to take care of her then 6-year-old son but didn’t know whom to trust. What she was really looking for was another mom that could babysit her son.

The luxury of being a working mom in Malaysia isn’t as common as one would expect. The reality is a lot of women have no choice but to leave their jobs after childbirth due to the lack of resources available to them as support.

A recent 7 year old survey conducted by the Ministry of Women Women, Family and Community Development and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) showed that over 70% of married women in Malaysia were unemployed because they had to look after their children. The most common reason attributed was the lack of childcare support, uncooperative husbands and rigid working conditions.

When Shera turned to the internet for help, she had no idea hundreds of women were seeking for a similar network of moms who would extend their motherly energy through paid services. This discovery is what gave birth to what is now a successful social media platform that empowers women through jobs.

One of the most common services offered by the women in the Facebook group – Jobs for CARING MOMS Malaysia – is F&B related. Hence it was a no brainer for Anchor Food Professionals to collaborate with CARING MOMS Malaysia by endorsing 20 home bakers as Anchor Dairy endorsed bakers in conjunction with their 133 years global anniversary.

MARKETING Magazine sat down with Associate Director, Foodservice of Fonterra Brands Malaysia, Jack Tan and Shera Ann Bosco, Co-Founder of CARING MOMS Malaysia to learn more about how the collaboration has empowered Malaysian home bakers while staying true to Anchor Food Professional’s commitment to promoting New Zealand natural dairy goodness.

What sparked the partnership between Anchor Food professionals and CARING MOMS? Jack: How we actually got involved with CARING MOMS is when we celebrated our hundred and thirty three years of Anchor’s (Anchor Dairy’s) global presence on the 3rd of November last year.

In conjunction with this, we were looking to see what the next big thing in the baking industry/dairy industry was. And that’s when we found that home bakers are essentially one of the key groups that have been driving the growth.

When I say home bakers, there

JACK TAN ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, FOODSERVICE OF FONTERRA BRANDS AND SHERA ANN BOSCO, CO-FOUNDER OF CARING MOMS MALAYSIA

DAIRY COMPANY ANCHORS HOME BAKERS THROUGH ENDORSEMENT ANCHOR FOOD PROFESSIONALS PARTNERS WITH CARING MOMS MALAYSIA IN EMPOWERING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS are three kinds - mothers and sometimes fathers who bake for their kids. The second is bakers who supply restaurants and cafes. And the third is bakers who bake at home and sell online, like social commerce. That’s when we stumbled upon CARING MOMS, which is essentially a platform of social enterprise that is focused on helping women be more economically independent.

As a business in totality Anchor (Anchor Food Professionals), we don’t really believe in a lot of sponsorship because we believe it’s too short term, like the saying “instead of giving someone a fish, teach them how to fish”. Back to the partnership, actually ours with CARING MOMS started three years ago with Anmum, so they’re not a stranger to Fonterra.

How has the partnership with CARING MOMS influenced the sales at Anchor Food Professionals?

Jack: So for Anchor Food Professional, we actually have a presence across Malaysia with approximately more than 6000 customers within the field. So because home bakers are only one segment of our business, at the current moment, we don’t see a significant spark, to be really honest. But at the same time, to us, these are actually seeding opportunities. It’s always about ‘how can we influence one dish at a time,’ ‘one cake at a time’ to build a long term impact as part of our marketing efforts as well as building or adding some contribution towards micro-SMEs. Can you explain the marketing strategy behind this partnership and the birthday celebration themed “Legendairy Celebration.”

Jack: Legendairy - so we played around with the word legend. For you to be a legend, you must be good in the first place and you must also have had a pretty long history. A brand like Anchor to be around globally for about a hundred and thirty three years is not easy. So the thematic order, the concept ideation around it is to focus on, “We have been here

for long and we’ve been good for the past 133 years, how do we actually inform or share this good news with our customers and emphasize on the benefits of good dairy for Malaysian palates and diet for the long run.

What are some of the potential disruptions Anchor Food Professionals foresees happening in the industry?

Jack: I think within Malaysia, and within the South-East Asia region, dairy consumption is only going to go up. Purely because I think there are some megatrends coming into Asia or Southeast Asia in general. One is the importance of natural food. The lesser ingredients you have listed on the specific pack, the better for the consumer. So the need for natural food as part of the super diet or super food is increasing more and more and consumers are looking more at what goes into their food. In a destruction disruption perspective, I can’t comment on the upcoming decade as a whole but maybe the next few years, because the food industry is very complex. One clear thing is that consumers are willing to spend on quality, if there is good value provided.

But of course I think moderation is the key for everything, right? Milk is definitely becoming a trend, but of course, within Malaysia our dairy consumption is still relatively low at about 48 liters per capita compared to a country like New Zealand where it’s above two hundred seventy litres per capita.

So, yes, we have quite a way to go in that perspective.

Can you briefly tell me the philosophy behind CARING MOMS and what drove it?

Shera: CARING MOMS started because of a then, six year old boy, who was my son. When he started Standard 1, I had no options of putting him in a proper daycare, and that’s where the idea came from. I started the group because I was looking for a babysitter and a tutor daycare for my son. I did not have the option to quit my job because

I was serving in the military.

Some mums would quit their jobs immediately once their kids go to school because the cost of daycare was rising and is still rising until today. I wanted to look for another mom who would take care of my son after school. That was in 2016. What started off as an intention for myself grew into something I never knew it would be today. So many people were looking for opportunities and were looking for a flexible opportunity after leaving their jobs.

So that’s how CARING MOMS started in May 2016. When it started growing, we thought what are we going to do with all these people? So we refocused it to economic independence or the economic empowerment of women and mothers: Help women build businesses from their homes while still performing their main role as a mothers. Then we opened it to all women because some of them said “I can’t have children” or “’I’m not going to get married.”

What was the turning point that made CARING MOMS what it is today?

Shera: We changed the thing that deters people from online purchases - the trend at that time was you put everything on a post, but you don’t mention the price. For those of us who are busy, following up on these posts was not easy. Changing that, caused more people to buy online because of the trust factor which increased our buyer database. To date, we have about 300 sellers and over 100,000 buyers” How were the 20 home bakers selected for the 3-month Anchor Endorsement?

Shera: We basically identified 30 home bakers who would fit, and then hosted an event where we invited Anchor to come and have a look, feel and taste what these moms can offer. On that day itself, everyone exceeded expectations, it was very professionally presented.

Jack: I’m actually allergic to chocolate and nuts so I wasn’t

In your opinion, what is the importance of accessible entrepreneurial opportunities for women, specifically in the Malaysian context?

Shera: When we started, we realised there was a pain point they were being ignored. The fact that women who were high flyers in the corporate world and the fact that they had to leave their jobs, lose their identity, come to take care of the kids and nobody was addressing it. So you see, even the government, when they do projects, they do skill-building.

They give you a skill, a baking skill, photography skill, but what happens after that? Where is the market for them to sell and where is the support? CARING MOMS offer a ready market for Entrepreneurs. Through CARING MOMS, we are seeing sellers who are so successful that their husbands are leaving their jobs to join their wives.

Their financial independence has been fantastic. These are the kinds of impact we see. We are glad that the government is finally opening up their eyes.

We just did a collaboration with the World Bank as they just realised the importance of giving women financial independence.

The Ministry of Health has also called us to say they want to make home kitchens certified because right now it is illegal and there is a big loss of revenue for the government, We’re part of a research collaboration with the World Bank on creating Better Opportunities for Women in Malaysia.The Ministry of Health has also embarked on a program to certify and legalise home kitchens. All these are addressing a problem and making it more accessible for women to start off on any business venture.

So you can see how this is sparking change. We have 30 sellers on a pilot project with MOH (Ministry of Health) at the moment, to certify the home kitchens How has a collaboration with anchor food driven CARING MOMS to continue building a platform to sustainable micro businesses?

Shera: See, what we want is always to build a sustainable business. As a homebaker, receiving endorsement from a company like Anchor gives their own customers assurance on the quality of their baked products which in turn has increased their monthly average income The Bespoke market is a growing market now and, if we don’t address this market, we will lose out. As they say, you can either disrupt or be disrupted.

‘GETARAN PERTAMA’

THE GOOSEBUMPS INDUCING MERDEKA AD

How Celcom Axiata’s 2019 Merdeka TVC won the hearts of our readers

IN Malaysia, ads during the festive season are comparable to ads during the Superbowl in the US. Every year, as each major holiday approaches, Malaysians look forward to the rolling TV Commercials (TVC) that either tug at the heart, make you laugh or most of the time, both.

You can also always count on Malaysians to have unofficial debates on which their favourite festive ad was this time, be it over social media or in coffee shops.

MARKETING Magazine decided to make the debate official by turning it into a voting system where our readers could vote for their personal favorite.

The latest round was voting for your favourite Merdeka TVC and the online survey was based on 364 respondents from the industry who are our readers at large.

As most of may know, the winner was Celcom Axiata for their impeccable execution of advancing the spirit of independence through technology.

Inspired by true events in 1957, Celcom and Axiata’s 2019 National Day film titled Getaran Pertama chronicles the search for the first choir to sing the national anthem of the soon-to-be independent Malaya.

The commercial follows the adventure of Ahmad Merican, the Music Supervisor of Radio Malaya and his good friend, music teacher and conductor, Tony Fonseka as they take on the task to fulfill Tunku Abdul Rahman’s wish of seeing everyday Malayans – regardless of race, creed and background – uniting as one voice to herald the birth of our new nation.

The team from M&C Saatchi, the agency responsible for producing the TVC, used deep learning modules that analysed hundreds of pictures of Tony Fonseka, allowing them to recreate his likeness. The system they created mapped out his facial features and allowed them to reproduce his facial expressions. By using mixed reality, they successfully rendered a virtual likeness that was trueto-life.

Wildly impressed and intrigued by the whole process, we dived deep behind-thescenes of Getaran Pertama, from concept ideation, research and production by interviewing key individuals behind the commercial. The following is what they each had to say.

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BEST MERDEKA TVC OF THE YEAR

CEO, Celcom Axiata Berhad - Idham Nawawi How does Getaran Pertama resonate with Celcom as a brand?

As a company that has been standing with the nation for over 31 years, we are proud to be part of a historical event where we are able to see how creative technology and history are combined to create an epic production in today’s digital world.

Celcom aspires to be “The Nation’s Most Inspiring Digital Organisation by 2022”. This production is a significant milestone for all of us in Celcom.

We are a home-grown brand that loves this country and will be walking step by step with Malaysia as we move towards becoming a developed nation.

We see this film as a tool for demonstrating how a brand like Celcom leveraging on technology for an encore performance of “Negaraku”, bringing back the memoirs of the first Merdeka Choir in 1957.

Celcom is proud to be part of this film that relives one of the nation’s greatest moments, as a reminder to all of us, how everyday Malaysians can come together to achieve something great in to perfect harmony.

What was Celcom’s aim behind the theme of unity highlighted in the TVC, given the current political landscape in Malaysia?

We believe that this is an epic story that is worth retelling – simply because it spells UNITY – a token to remind everyone that unity in diversity is this country’s underpinning foundation to success and was built years prior to independence.

Over the years Malaysia has been standing strong even during the most testing times; we have proven that we are co-existing in this country and sub-consciously we have always tried to withstand the challenges together and keeping the country in harmony, despite the differences we have.

As CEO and a fellow Malaysian, how did you feel when you first watched the final version of the Getaran Pertama?

Goosebumps of course. As the film ends, I realised that many of us have long forgotten how beautiful Negaraku is, when it is sung insuch a harmonious and melodious way.

Throughout the film, I surely felt like it brought back such memories of the beauty of unity and harmony among Malaysians in addition to clothing, building design and lifestyle preindependence.

Behind the scenes at the production of ‘Getaran Pertama’

If I have to choose a scene, I admit that the last scene when Tony Fonseka bowed to the choir immediately after the singing Negaraku while Tan Sri Ahmad Merican watching, touched me deeply. They both knew that a historical event had been created that marked the formation of a nation and the nation of Malaysia. I felt really good and almost shed tears.

But most importantly, the story touches all of us because the historical values we share are getting lost with time. Thus, with the production of this story, we hope to bring back the uniqueness and diversity that unite us all.

Head of Group Marketing & Brand, Axiata - Fernie Jasmine Abdul Ghani As one of Asia’s leading telecommunication groups, what did creating a Merdeka TVC mean to the brand this year?

Our objective with the Merdeka TVC this year was to use digital technology to create a beautiful and uniquely Malaysian story of what is possible when we come together as a united force of people, celebrating our diversity. In

line with our vision to be a New Generation Digital Company, the use of creative technology to re-enact scenes from the past in our Getaran Pertama TVC gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our technological capabilities in addition to evoking patriotism and awareness about the founding ideals of our nation.

Who came up with the idea for the Getaran Pertama?

The M&C Saatchi team proposed an idea that told a pivotal event in our history of independence, which then culminated to an event where the same historical character (the famed conductor – Tony Fonseka) was brought back to life through technology to conduct a new choir who sang the national anthem.

How do TVCs such as this help the marketing of your brand?

TVCs serve as an important touchpoint with our customers and stakeholders, enabling us to connect and showcase our values as well as our strengths and capabilities as an organisation. More than that, projects like Getaran Pertama are truly special because they

carry the potential of inspiring people to higher ideals. With this Merdeka TVC, we were able to focus the spotlight on a lesser known but meaningful story in the lead up to our nation’s birth demonstrating the positive impact of unity amongst people of diverse backgrounds.

Tan Sri Ahmad Merican What was your involvement in the production Getaran Pertama?

Not many know of the Merdeka choir formed by Radio Malaya to be the first to sing our country’s national anthem. The choir was pulled together on the request of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. I was happy to share the story on how my close friend and musical colleague Tony Fonseka and I had to deliver on this exciting task in the days leading up to Malaya’s independence in 1957.

How did you feel watching Getaran Pertama for the first time?

I am now 95 years old and during independence, I was in my early thirties. At that time, forming the Merdeka choir was just another of the many assignments at Radio Malaya.

However, I was fortunate that one of my closest friends was Tony Fonseka, a fellow musician and choir master, who led the formation of the choir in time for Merdeka Day on 31 August 1957.

Until I saw Getaran Pertama, I did not fully appreciate the significance of the choir. So many things had to be achieved in those early years, that I had forgotten how many Malaysians (Malayans then) from all walks of life, age and cultures were willing to volunteer their time and effort to be part of our nation’s history.

The video reminds me that when we share a common objective, we can with God’s blessings achieve the impossible. It also tells me that you do your best work with friends and the people you like.

I remember the choir coming together as one big happy family.

When they sang that morning at the Merdeka Stadium, it was a special and proud moment for me, Tony and am sure for every member of Malaysia’s first national choir.

I thank the people who have documented a small part of our history and hope that it is a story which will bring much happiness to all.

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BEST MERDEKA TVC OF THE YEAR

CLIENT AXIATA GROUP BERHAD & CELCOM AXIATA BERHAD Fernie Jasmine Abdul Ghani Head, Brand & Communications (Axiata Group) Sofia Abd. Aziz Specialist, Brand & Communications (Axiata Group) Ginny Phuah Guat Imm Head of Brand and Marketing (Celcom Axiata) Wan Ridzuan Halawah Head of Corporate Brands (Celcom Axiata) Farhana Yusoff Advertising Associate (Celcom Axiata) AGENCY M&C Saatchi (M) Sdn Bhd Marzuki Maani Executive Creative Director Darren Lee Group Creative Director Mundzir Abdul Latin Creative Director Low Pooi Yeng Associate Creative Director PRODUCTION HOUSE DIRECTORS THINK TANK Rajay Singh Director Tek Nam Producer Zainuddin Mohamad DOP Dave Singh Editor Anton Morgan Music (TwoAM Studio)

‘Getaran Pertama’ voted the best Merdeka TVC for 2019 by MARKETING Magazine’s readers

TOP 10 MERDEKA ADS 2019

Datin Sri Sharifah Menyalara Hussein - CEO of M&C Saatchi Malaysia What was the biggest challenge you faced in executing what seems like a big-scale production in terms of festive TVCs? Time was our toughest challenge, as we were to re-create history (setting and styling) in a very short time.

1. Celcom Axiata - Getaran Pertama 2. RHB - Ketepikan Perbezaan Warna 3. Petronas - UNI 4. Grab Malaysia - Makan-Makan Malaysia

What was the team’s most memorable moment while shooting the TVC? Hearing the choir sing Negaraku for the first time during the shoot.

5. Boost - Merdeka 2019 6. BFM - Jemput Makan, Netflix 7. AirAsia - Hidup Bersama

Who were some of the sources you used in ensuring the Getaran Pertama stayed true to the original events?

Mainly through internal research and a lot of going through various sources to verify the info we researched. Through extensive research and by talking to various parties, we were able to recreate the story as close as to the actual event How did you the team feel with regards to the positive reaction after releasing the TVC? We feel very proud and honoured to be part of this project and able to honour the unsung heroes behind this true event.

7. Milo - Seiring Mencipta Kejayaan, Bersama Kita Raikan 8. Digi - Projek Footbraille 9. Maxis - 100% Malaysia 10. Astro - Tun M berkongsi Makna Merdeka bersama anak-anak muda

Idham Nawawi CEO, Celcom Axiata Berhad

CREATIVITY IS THE 12

BUSINESS GROWTH ENGINE

ISSUE241JANUARY2020

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CANNES LIONS 2020

The Cannes Lions Festival content team has carried out substantial research with more than 1500 industry individuals to develop eight 2020 Festival themes. Detailed interviews were also conducted with more than 100 industry-leading Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Creative Officers, brand leaders, strategists and CEOs to structure the themes around the most business-critical areas of branded marketing and communications to drive the creative agenda globally.

These eight 2020 Festival themes are defined by some of the most brilliant and inspired minds in our industry.

The 2020 agenda setting themes are here: Let’s take a closer look at them...

Creativity Is the Business Growth Engine This theme will explore: the role of marketers to define how creativity can support both short-term activities and longterm brand equity, to have a better level of influence in the boardroom; and how creatives can support them in achieving sustained growth.

Creativity at Cannes Lions is far more than a 30-second ad. In fact, it’s hardly ever a 30-second ad. It’s a survival mechanism. Applied properly, it’s transformative. It solves big business problems. It requires complete organisational focus.

It is also arguably the best (sometimes only) way to drive non-incremental growth.

But, as is known it requires a long-term, enterprise-wide commitment and often a complete re-engineering of business models, mindsets and culture. Marketers must define how creativity can support both short-term activities and longterm brand equity to have a better level of influence in the boardroom. There is a need to focus on the “marketing of marketing and creativity” in order to gain credibility; but this must always be backed by business results. Creativity needs a new vocabulary: one that resonates with the C-suite.

The festival will explore speakers and organisations who have used creativity to achieve sustained growth in highly-competitive categories and demonstrated its impact.

• Design-thinking, data, technology and consumer insights powering impactful creativity.

• How marketers have mastered the boardroom and the CFO relationship.

Enter

Learn

2020 Themes

•

•

Best practice from creatives who are fluent in the language of business.

Learn how to be a true business partner rather than a drain on costs.

Creative Disruption In commerce This theme will explore trailblazers from brands and retailers, who will introduce pioneering forms of commerce (cashless, omni-channel, immersive) to promote better buying experiences.

Commerce is often seen just as a transaction - where the focus is friction reduction, but it presents so much more potential and opportunities for brands. It’s a game-changer.

Judging by the outstanding award-winning work on show at the 2019 Festival, there is a lot more experimentation and sophistication in this fiercely disruptive and exciting space.

People don’t want to be bombarded with annoying “buy it now” sales messages: they expect personalised shopping experiences to be seamlessly integrated into their everyday lives. They want the brands they like to add value. To make their lives better. To delight, even.

The festival will explore • How marketers can create a true point of difference in saturated sectors and on the “goto” sites like Amazon and JD.com.

• The important and vital role that creativity plays in differentiating commerce experience amongst a throng of competitors.

• The (ever-changing) physical environment and its true value and role as we ramp up on in-device purchases.

• The most exciting work which is happening in stores (and elsewhere).

Post-purpose: Brand Accountability and Activism This theme will provide the platform for the world’s biggest brands and agencies to discuss how they’re tackling critical global issues, from climate change to inequality. Find out how they are enacting change day-to-day to ensure they follow through on their missions and beliefs.

The time for discussion and awareness is over. It is time for action. There is no doubt that authentic, purpose-driven work can have a positive impact on behaviour and society and

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THE TONE FOR CANNES LION 2020 CREATIVITY IS THE HAS BEEN SET WITH THESE 8 THEMES "The CMO agenda is the business growth agenda. Which means we need to drive impact, top line acceleration and return on B U S I N E S S G investment."

ROWTH ENGINE Debora Koyama, Chief Marketing O�cer, Europe, Mondelez International

This theme will investigate...

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...the role of marketers to de�ne how creativity can support both short-term activities and long-term brand equity, to have a better leve of in�uence in the boardroom; and how creatives can support them in achieving sustained growth.

"The CMO agenda is the business growth agenda. Which means we CREATIVITY THE need to drive impact, IS top line BUSINESS GROWTH ENGINE acceleration and return on Creativity at Cannes Lions is far more than a 30-second investment." ad. In fact, it’s hardly ever a 30-second ad. It’s a survival mechanism. Applied properly, it’s transformative. It Debora Koyama, Chief Marketing O�cer, Europe, Mondelez solves big business problems. It requires complete International organisational focus.

"The CMO agenda is the business It is also arguably the best (sometimes only) waygrowth to drive agenda. Which means we

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Debora Koyama, Chief Marketing O�cer, Europe, Mondelez International

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2020 Content Themes

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2. Creative Disruption in Commerce

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This theme will feature...

Enter pioneering Learn Opportunities Account Buy a Pass ...trailblazers from brands and retailers, who will Attend introduce forms of commerce (cashless, omni-channel, immersive) to

promote better buying experiences.

2020 Themes

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"We're seeing the atomization of retail…People can buy from Commerce is often seen just as a transaction - where the anywhere.

From live TV, from graf ti focus is friction reduction, but it presents so much more potential andCREATIVE opportunities for brands.on It's awalls, game- from posters, from DISRUPTION IN their COMMERCE changer. Judging by the outstanding award-winning work friends. You can almost buy on show at the 2019 Festival, we will anything see a lot more and it doesn't have to be in experimentation and sophistication in this �ercely a store or on a shelf." disruptive and exciting space.

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Cashless vending machines with transactions based Enter

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on facial recognition? Yes… Account

We will select and invite trailblazers from brands and pioneering “new” forms of commerce

retailers who are pioneering “new” forms of commerce

(cashless, omni-channel, immersive, experience) to 2020toThemes (cashless, omni-channel, immersive, experience)

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Mobile-centric, participatory real-time shopping experiences which turn the consumer into the

better buying experiences. promote better buying promote experiences.

retailer? Why not…?

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APPLIED CREATIVITY

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We will explore

Fernando Machado, Global Chief Marketing O�cer,on Burger King facial

value and role as we ramp up on in-device purchases.

How marketers can create a true point of di�erence in

This theme will invite...

The most exciting work which is happening in stores saturated sectors and on the "go-to" sites like Amazon (and elsewhere).

recognition? Yes…

Mobile-centric, participatory real-time shopping experiences which turn the consumer into the

and JD.com. ….experts to share examples of how to apply data and technology tactfully to develop creativity that enthrals audiences. Plus, brands will The important and vital role that creativity plays in retailer?

Why not…? demonstrate how they harness AI and machine learning to underpin creative work that drives lasting emotional connections with di�erentiating your commerce experience amongst a consumers. throng of competitors.

new agency models and struggling to scale. We are in an along the way. (ever-changing) physical environment and its true what the future value era where we need to constantly How toThe prioritise value and role as we ramp up on in-device purchases. proposition needs to learn, customer satisfaction, The most exciting work which is happening in stores experiment and create the (and elsewhere). be to survive. What is brand are: future.

Some of thesynchronise bigThere questions was once a time when tech and data both terri�ed the role of the agency?

This is a meaty and complex messaging with a whilst some were still obsessing and enchanted us. But We will explore about “humans v machines”, future-thinking brands were it an ideas house? theme, ultimately looking how what consumerIsexperience streamlined journey andmassive As distribution models are disrupted by the eCommerce platforms of thisatworld, do you have and creating virtual assistants, personalising 1-2-1 ads at A consultancy? A we and join organisational dots of big questions are: what part of it do you own?

But, most importantly –upWHERE can you reachcareers consumers and own it? scale and enabling customers to try on make atcan home bullet-proof How marketers canSome create athe true point of di�erence in via an What was once deemed “innovation” is now a transformation bureau? business as we for a across a app. business.

What part can physical retail still"go-to" play are insites a digital and convenience ledprepare commerce market?

As distribution models disrupted

by Amazon the massive eCommerce platforms of this world, what consumer experience do you have and saturated sectors and on the like hygiene factor. what part of it do you own? But, most importantly – WHERE can you reach consumers and own it? recessionary world.

• The next realm of How can we make the buying process seamless and integrate into consumers’ lives in a relevant way? Let’s reevaluate what and JD.com.

What part can physical retail still play in a digital and convenience led commerce market? the agency of the future experience: set to be experiential How can we that make buying process seamless consumers’ lives in a relevant way?

What we learn from China: thethe ultimate retail into playground?

Thecan important and vital role creativity plays in and integrate stands for.

Theretail festival will explore completely multi-sensory What can we learn from China: the ultimate experiential playground? di�erentiating your commerce experience amongst a • Collaboration and • Talent: At a time when and engineered with throng of competitors.

Explore more themes Partnerships: Let’s creative marketing empathy. creative technology becomes invisible, the creative Explore moreAsand themes TheLooking (ever-changing) physicalMaking environment and its true possibilities almost in�nite. Data is also seductive face it, we can’t fly solo capabilities are,areat best, to 2030: your and yet it can be profoundly limiting (particularly when value and role as Future-fit we ramp up on in-device purchases. anymore. We need to undefined, speakers will Business we’re all working with the same information!).

The most exciting work which is happening in stores work better together to explore the new skill sets Here at Cannes Lions we will always believe �rst and requiredforemost and how This theme will examine the (and elsewhere). in humanwe curiosity and imagination. But we produce work that we’re celebrate and interrogate the application of creativity, proud of. can acquire and retain best structures, models and which is almost always informed and ampli�ed by • In-housing: Speakers the world’s best creative relationships that creatives and machines. from both sides of tech talent. brands must adopt going forward 1. Creativity IS the Business and « 3. Post-Purpose: Brand « the fence will explore • Better teams and to enable successful, humanGrowth Engine Accountability and Activism Somefirst of the big questions are: whether it’s working processes: Enabling a creativity.

It’ll also consider We will feature and what elements are creative culture is underthe new skill sets required for Creative technologists, scientists and As distribution are disrupted bystorytellers, the massive eCommerce platformsbut of this world, what consumer experience do you working best.

A have yearand on, scrutinised essential. modernmodels creativity, and how to innovators who have real-life examples of how to About 1. Creativity IS the Business « 3.

Post-Purpose: Brand « what part of it donurture youSupport own?

But,apply most – WHERE you reach consumers own it? we’ll ask “will in-housing practically dataimportantly and tech in a way that delights can Speakers will focus andSocial acquire, and retain the Awards Support News and enthralls. Î Å Í Â » What part can physical retail still play in a digital and convenience led commerce market? creativity fail?” on how we can build a world’s best talent.

Growth Engine Accountability and Activism Festival Support Representatives Brands that demonstrate HOW they have harnessed Since its �rst outing as alives catalyst The only thing that’s How can we make thePasses buying process seamless and integrateworkplace into consumers’ in a relevant way?in 1954, the technology and data to createFind better emotional Support your Rep Cannes Lions International Festival moments with consumers. of CreativityApplied has been bringing the Creativity: When creativity and growth. constant infrom our industry is Plan your trip Sponsors What can we learn China: the ultimate experiential retailfor playground?

The very best, global examples of tech and datacreative communications industry Press Data, Tech and Ideas Collide Here it is important to change. The Agency of Record is together every year at its one-of-afuelled creativity. kind event in Cannes to learn, Your Account This theme will invite: experts look at what detracts almost certainly dead, the next network and celebrate.

It will blow your mind. to share examples of how to more this:themes burn-out, lack generation of creative talent Contact usExplorefrom Cannes Lions Store Support demands new, modernAbout Socialand technology apply data of inclusion, #metoo, workingThe Work tactfully to develop creativity that and age discrimination practices and D2C brands (who Some of the big questions are: Awards Support News Å Í Â » enthralsÎ audiences.

Plus, brands (to name a few). only last year we held up as the Practical applications: how can we supercharge our creativity with technology, use data and machine learning as the guardrails for Festival Support Representatives good ideas and deploy AR to create mind-blowingly immersive experiences? will demonstrate how they • Agency and consultancy new icons in marketing) are Since its �rst outing in 1954, the Can we always rely on data/AI and what pitfalls must we avoid: both strategically and ethically?

Passes Support Find your Rep harnessCannes AI and machine learning models: We will look at seemingly hitting a plateau, Lions International Festival How are well-loved brands and businesses using technology, data and new tools to transform the way we interact?

•

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Does digital live up to its promise? It might be great at e�ciency and optimisation but what about e�ectiveness?

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13

CANNES LIONS 2020

to underpin creative work that drives lasting emotional connections with consumers.

There was once a time when tech and data both terrified and enchanted us. But whilst some were still obsessing about “humans v machines”, futurethinking brands were creating virtual assistants, personalising 1-2-1 ads at scale and enabling customers to try on make up at home via an app. What was once deemed “innovation” is now a hygiene factor.

As creative technology becomes invisible, the creative possibilities are almost infinite.

Data is also seductive and yet it can be profoundly limiting (particularly when we’re all working with the same information!).

Here at Cannes Lions we will always believe first and foremost in human curiosity and imagination. But we celebrate and interrogate the application of creativity, which is almost always informed and amplified by machines.

The festival will feature • Creative technologists, storytellers, scientists and innovators who have real-life examples of how to practically apply data and tech in a way that delights and enthralls.

• Brands that demonstrate HOW they have harnessed technology and data to create better emotional moments with consumers.

• The very best, global examples of tech and data-fuelled creativity.

• It will blow your mind.

Storytelling at Scale This theme will feature: speakers that explore new creative dimensions in storytelling across a range of platforms and formats, at pace and at scale. It’ll consider how brands can tell stories that gain attention and engage in the issues that matter, putting cultural relevancy at the forefront.

This theme is as much about the context (and pace, volume) as the content. Storytelling, the bedrock of our industry – used to be much simpler: develop one key message, focus on a few formats and execute with artistry.

But, the job today is way more complicated. Platforms have multiplied and we’re all spoilt for choice. We crave and expect constant entertainment. We’re greedy for more (and better) content. We will not accept mediocrity. This is as exciting as it is unnerving and we need to embrace the challenge!

We must adapt formats, at

pace and at scale. Today, brands that need to gain attention must focus on content that entertains and engages people on the issues and stories that matter, right here, right now. Cultural relevance is critical.

The festival will explore • New creative dimensions in storytelling across modern platforms and formats.

• The bold endeavours being made by brands to shape their stories into entertaining, culturally relevant content.

• The partners and creative talent required to bring great storytelling to life.

Let’s Get Back to Brand This theme will delve into how we use creativity to build brand health for the long-term rather than obsess over shortterm clicks and impressions. It’ll explore the brand assets and emotional connections that are integral to long-term relationship building which, applied appropriately, help brands stay front-of-mind over time.

Famously iconic brands do not make themselves. But amongst the current obsession with clicks and impressions, brand-building and long-term brand health has been neglected.

This theme is not as simplistic as performance marketing vs. creativity but it does throw up some important questions: primarily, what essence has been lost whilst the focus has been more squarely on immediate ROI? The evidence shows that for creativity to really pay, there needs to be commitment. And patience. Getting back to brand is about focusing on building brand equity and growing brand affinity with customers. It’s not about short-lived stunts: it’s about real, hard graft. It’s about understanding what brand assets and emotional connections are integral to long-term relationship building and memory making, so that you stay front-of-mind. It’s about celebrating long-term wins and having the confidence to convince the business that brand health matters.

MARKETING magazine is the Official Country Representative for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

MARKETING MAGAZINE AUDIENCE SURVEY

Professional Roles

Media Owners

We are a niche platform that engages with the marketing, media, creative a nd digital industries.

We don’t pretend to be anything else. S o if you need to connect with key players in this billion-ringgit industry, you need look no further. We have been talking to them for 23 years: www.marketingmagazine.com.my

Marketing Comms

Recently MARKETING magazine Malaysia conducted an audience survey with 300 participants at the Malaysian CMO Conference & Awards 2019. They represent a healthy cross-section of our industry and these valuable findings are the first of its kind in our industry. The data now confirms the user behaviour of our readers as they evolve with us into 2020.

Media Specialist

AUDIENCE BEHAVIOUR

23%

5%

72% 56%

44%

Telco

35%

51%

FMCG

40

60

20

0

20

40

60

80

AUDIENCE BEHAVIOUR

PSYCHOGRAPHIC

Leading active lifestyles, opinion shapers, early adopters of products and services © Copyright Reserved 2019

AUDIENCE BEHAVIOUR Mobile Device Branding

Device Category 59.33% 59.40%

Website Audience 166,157

400

200

00:002:45

100

100

200

300

15% 85% 100

New

400

00:002

60

40

20

0

100

500

14.82% 14.67%

®

0

60

80

40

60

100

Likes 5373

54%

5472

45%

People Engaged

100

80

45%

Followers

86.9% 40

20

Facebook Overview

600

13.1%

20

Users New Users

21.32% 21.43%

00:003

Returning Visitor 80

80

00:002:57

00:001

00:001

00:002

60

525,322

Avg. Time on Page

00:003

40

584,497

Unique Pageviews 300

20

438,796

Pageviews

330,092

0

14.82% 14.67%

295,023

Sessions

379,987

2019

301,107

Users

162,701

21.32% 21.43%

39.46% 39.40%

New Users

258,120

41.94% 41.72%

New Users

Users

500

Business Development Managers

Average monthly income in excess of RM6,000 per month

30 to 50 years of age

600

9%

PERSONAL INCOME

AGE

2018

13%

Demographics

38%

Media Owners

49%

14%

LOCATION

55%

Brand Owners

62%

1%

62%

Retail

45%

18%

Urban, Klang Valley

65%

Banking

38%

80

8%

28%

Advertising

Head of Sales

44%

Digital Marketing

CMO's

56%

Account Managers

Male & Female (Sample size of 300)

Brand Managers

Digital Marketers

By Industry

9%

54% Visitors

Job Function

% of Visitors

391

Traffic Channel New Users 81.33%

Users 81.20%

Acquisition

278 146 144

10.54% 10.4% 85 62 36 32 26 25

Session 70.00%

Organic Search 81.82% Direct 86.58%

400

Social 26.68% Referral 4.33%

300

28.23%

20.07%

200

100

6.14% 4.48% 2.6% 2.31% 1.88% 1.81% 0

5

10

15

20

Marketing

Arts & Design

Business Development

Research

25

30

Sales

Program & Project Management

Media & Communication

Information Technology

Operations

Support

Email 1.11% (Other) 78.95%

JARROD SOLOMON

Business Development Manager jarrod@adoimagazine.com +6018-2200682 / +603-7726 2588

© Copyright Reserved 2020

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE IN HARRY POTTER TO SEE MOVING PHOTOGRAPHS. MARKETING DIGEST - YOUR ULTIMATE VISUAL STIMULI.

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ISSUE241JANUARY2020

BRAND SUCCESS STORY

MR.D.I.Y. SERVES MORE THAN 100 MILLION CUSTOMERS ANNUALLY THROUGH THEIR NETWORK OF STORES

BORN AT HOME, RAISED TO KEEP ON GROWING

MR.DIY OFFERS OVER 14,000 PRODUCTS ACROSS 10 CATEGORIES, CATERING TO THE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS OF THE WHOLE FAMILY

A LOOK AT MR. DIY’S INCREDIBLE EXPANSION

MR.TOY, WHICH BEGAN OPERATIONS IN MAY 2019, IS OPEN IN 15 LOCATIONS AROUND MALAYSIA

BECOMING a household name is a standard of success most businesses hope to achieve. Mr. DIY, keeping true to its tongue in cheek marketing taglines and creative product showcasing has taken it a step further by becoming a household name for household items, across Asia.

The homegrown company opened its first outlet along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur back in 2005 and in less than 15 years, has opened 1,000 stores across Asia. The successful rate at which Mr. D.I.Y has grown can be attributed to several factors, including their strategic plans for continuous business growth while staying true to their tagline ‘lowest prices always’ and their memorable local marketing campaigns that made an impact on consumers.

MARKETING Magazine sat with Andy Chin, MR.D.I.Y. Group

MR.DIY OFFERS QUALITY PRODUCTS AT LOW PRICES, HOLDING TRUE TO ITS MOTTO OF “ALWAYS LOW PRICES”

MR.TOY IS MALAYSIA’S FIRST HOME-GROWN TOY STORE CHAIN

(M) Berhad’s Marketing Vice President...

In less than 15 years, MR.DIY has opened 1,000 stores across Asia. As Marketing Vice President, how would you say the marketing strategy of MR.D.I.Y.’s brand contributed to this success?

MR.D.I.Y.’S BRAND MARKETING STRATEGY At MR.D.I.Y., we listen to our customers by catering to their needs and wants. While providing them with the widest range of more than 14,000 products across 10 categories, we also take the initiative and time to ensure that we are delivering what we promised them by going the extra mile in our marketing strategy.

BILLBOARD CAMPAIGNS

We also have an effective billboard strategy and we stay active and consistent with our campaign efforts – this is implemented every six months.

We are ‘big’ on using catchy, bold, daring and factual taglines for our billboard campaigns to convey the message that we are the largest home improvement retailer with the widest range of products and lowest Prices Always, across various locations.

We have done several campaigns in the past with taglines such as: • Di Mana Ada Jalan, Di Situ Ada MR.DIY (2019) • MR.DIY Janji, Bakul Penuh Pun Murah Lagi (2018) • Nasib Baik Tak Beli Tadi, MR.DIY Murah Lagi (2018) • Jangan Marah, Kami Termurah (2017) • Beli Cermat Poket

Selamat (2016) Biar Kami Rugi, Anda Puas Hati (2014) In 2014, MR.D.I.Y. won the best billboard award for Biar Kami Rugi, Anda Puas Hati. That was a memorable achievement for our billboard campaign as we managed to capture the hearts of many Malaysians with our creative approach. By winning this award, we felt even more motivated to produce creative content that our customers can relate to.

•

DIGITAL PLATFORMS MR.D.I.Y. is also digital savvy and we own a solid digital platform which enables us to stay in contact, interact and engage with our customers. We are pleased to share that to date, MR.D.I.Y. has around 276,000 followers on Instagram and 3.5 million followers on Facebook.

Our digital platforms are interactive and filled with fun and cool listicles or video hacks. Over the years, our video hacks have received encouraging responses from our customers. Additionally, they have also provided us an unconventional way of promoting our product offerings across 10 categories. Apart from that, MR.D.I.Y. works with key influencers and other business partners to promote the brand via digital platforms.

MR.D.I.Y. has become synonymous with having the tools you need to ‘do it yourself’. What else is being done to promote this culture of doing it yourself?

We use social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and our website to educate our customers by creating DIY

ISSUE241JANUARY2020

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BRAND SUCCESS STORY

content or cool hacks using the products we sell in our stores.

We hope that with the creation of DIY videos and cool hacks for this initiative, our efforts will encourage our customers to create their own DIY projects, inculcating creativity and the DIY culture among Malaysians.

MR.D.I.Y. X UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA: DIY MADE SIMPLE MR.D.I.Y. believes that it always starts with the young ones. This is why, as part of our CSR efforts, we have teamed up with University of Malaya to organise the ‘DIY Made Simple’ competition for secondary school students. Entrants, in school teams, are tasked to find ways to improve their school facilities, through do-it-yourself projects using recycled materials and products from MR.D.I.Y. We provide resources for students to do their DIY projects by providing power tools-cordless drill, electrical circular saw, sanders and other products that are available within the 10 different categories that we have such as Hardware; Household; Electrical; Car Accessories; Furnishing; Stationery & Sports; Toys; Gifts; Computer & HP Accessories; and Jewellery & Cosmetics.

This is an annual initiative that has run for three years and we had earlier this year signed an MOA with the university to run this for another three years (2020- 2022). We strongly believe that the continuation of this programme will enable us to spread the awareness of DIY culture amongst younger generations, enabling them to learn some survival skills through DIY projects and eventually preparing them to face the real world. Other than producing young DIY talents who are innovative and creative, this programme — which incorporates a mixture of Science and Technology, Engineering, Business and Marketing elements — will enable students to understand how to handle a project from start to finish and how to market their products.

Current SME hardware stores still provide the bulk of nuts-and-bolts required at a cheap rate.

Does MR.D.I.Y. view these stores as complementary or competitive to its business model?

We don’t see these hardware stores as direct competitors as we operate a different business model from these stores.

We operate a different business model that was created especially for Malaysians customers. There are no similar businesses like MR.D.I.Y. in the market. We are the pioneer in the business retail revolution.

MR.D.I.Y. has everything under

one roof with the widest range of products — over 14,000 across 10 categories.

And this business model was born out of our endeavour to always put customers first by providing them convenience and a wholesome family shopping experience, offering a comfortable conducive shopping environment to more than 100 million customers annually through our stores network and online with good quality products at “Always Low Prices”.

You recently won the World Branding Awards, Brand of the Year in Retail — Home Improvement Category, for the second year running.

This is a pretty big deal for a global scale recognition.

What does this win mean to you and what is it about MR.D.I.Y.’s branding strategy that won the award?

We are extremely honoured and proud to win this distinguished World Branding Awards in Retail – Home Improvement Category 20192020 for the second time.

Winning it for the second time is an incredible achievement for us because it is a true acknowledgement of MR.D.I.Y., a home-grown brand from Malaysia, as being the best home improvement retailer brand. Most importantly, this victory has elevated our business partners and customers’ confidence towards our brand as we increase our footprint in the global market across Asia.

This prestigious recognition is a credit to MR.D.I.Y.’s management and employees for their continuous dedication and contributions in shaping the brand and the company’s success today. We are grateful to have around 9,000 great employees across Malaysia working as one team to build this winning brand. We definitely believe that this recognition will bring MR.D.I.Y.’s reputation to greater heights.

Can you describe the most successful marketing campaign MR.D.I.Y. has executed?

The most successful campaign that MR.D.I.Y. did was our eye-catching billboard campaign in 2014 — 6% GST Kami Bayar; Biar Kami Rugi, Anda Puas Hati. That campaign became a hit and truly memorable to Malaysians since the (Goods & Service Tax) GST was a hot topic at that time. We not only captured Malaysians’ hearts with the billboard tagline but also had other brands copying our ideas and method for this campaign. Another testament to the effectiveness of the campaign was when we won our first award for the best

billboard in 2014. This billboard campaign had also gotten us to the front pages of a local English newspaper, something that we were extremely proud of.

Are there any collaboration plans for MR.D.I.Y.’s marketing for 2020?

In January 2020, we are expecting to hit our 1,000th store overall. We celebrated this immense milestone at AEON Shah Alam with an array of promotions and on-ground activities such as complimentary umbrellas, RM1 Deal of water can and airtight containers, Freebies Giveaway of RM10 voucher for first 100 pax + Airtight Container, Spin & Win contest to win cash vouchers or airtight containers or pens, complimentary face painting and popcorn and cotton candy, magic performances and balloon sculptures.

MR.D.I.Y. is also working closely with e-wallet service providers to provide greater convenience for our customers’ shopping experience. We believe in promoting this payment method as it offers customers a smooth check-out experience when they make their purchases while providing them with more rewards, more benefits and discounts.

... Our strength lies in our company’s tagline: “Always Low Prices”, and the dedication towards providing the greatest convenience to our customers, which translates into making a positive difference to their everyday lives...

Andy Chin

ANDY CHIN MR.D.I.Y. GROUP (M) BERHAD’S MARKETING VICE PRESIDENT

How important would you say innovation is to the growth of MR.D.I.Y. in the FMCG industry, specifically in its marketing context?

Marketing innovation and MR.D.I.Y. e-commerce platforms innovation — and to be innovative — is important to MR.D.I.Y.; we are very innovative with the billboard campaign strategy as we always create catchy, bold, daring and factual taglines such as Beli Cermat Poket Selamat that was actually originated from Malay proverbs, Pandu Cermat Jiwa Selamat, Di Mana Ada Jalan, Di Situ Ada MR.DIY also originated from Di Mana Ada Kemahuan, Di Situ Ada Jalan. This is the creativity and innovative approach that we are doing for our billboard campaigns.

Since we have a great business model, we have leveraged on it to delight our customers. In 2018, we launched our e-commerce platform in order to create an omni-channel experience for our loyal customers — offering the customers a seamless shopping experience for them to shop at MR.D.I.Y. anytime and anywhere with a click of a finger. Overall, MR.D.I.Y. will continue to provide innovative convenience for the customers.

value of its customer relationships?

MR.D.I.Y. serves 100 million customers annually through our network of stores and online.

We listen to our customers and endeavour to cater to all their household needs and wants.

It is because of this endeavour to serve our customers that we provide them the widest range of products — over 14,000 items over 10 categories — that are of good quality and at “Always Low Prices”, staying true to our company motto. Our stores — whether they are in huge shopping centres in major cities or in shoplots in smaller towns — adhere to the same price points, product offerings and payment options, to provide our customers the greatest possible convenience of shopping for their everyday needs.

Our strength lies in our company’s tagline: “Always Low Prices”, and the dedication towards providing the greatest convenience to our customers, which translates into making a positive difference to their everyday lives. This motto and outlook towards our customers has been at the heart of whatever we have done over the years. This is how MR.D.I.Y. relates and connects to the customers and what makes us unique as a retailer.

Among the ways we show how much we value our customers is through our excellent customer service team — we engage with our customers online, and listen to any feedback that they may have for us, whether it is positive or otherwise.

Would you say that MR.D.I.Y. is doing enough to leverage, protect and expand the

What can we expect to see from MR.D.I.Y. in 2020, when it will mark its 15 th year?

As mentioned earlier, in January 2020, we hit our 1,000th store overall. Other than that, we will continue to open more MR.D.I.Y. stores across Malaysia so we can reach out to more of customers across the country.

MR.TOY IN 2020 We are also opening more stores under our toy store chain, MR.TOY, which was established in May 2019, as we aim to operate 50 stores around Malaysia by the end of 2020, offering customers access to a variety of quality toys that are always fun and at low prices, making them affordable for everyone.

E-COMMERCE ROBOTICS WAREHOUSE 2020 Another development coming up, which we are very excited about, is our 2-storey robotics warehouse that we hope to officially unveil in Quarter 2 2020. When it finally opens, this will be the biggest warehouse of its kind in Southeast Asia.

MR.D.I.Y. envisions that this warehouse will play a significant role, especially for our expanding e-commerce division, as it would improve the efficiency of product lifting and segregation.

We’d like to end it with a quirky question that has stemmed purely out of curiosity — what is the most bought product from MR.D.I.Y. in Malaysia?

There is no specific product that we can say is the “most bought item”; however we can share that our customers most often buy items in our Household category — which includes products such as batteries, lightbulbs and water bottles.

18

ISSUE241JANUARY2020

2019 MOST SEARCHED

MALAYSIA’S TOP TRENDING SEARCHES OF THE YEAR THAT PASSED CATEGORY: INDIVIDUAL

#1 VANESSA ANGEL

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CATEGORY: MOVIES

THE FUTURE OF

Narrate stories using the most creative video content designed for the vertical format

VERTICAL STORYTELLING b y Tay Guan H in

18

FEBRUARY 2020 SIME DARBY CONVENTION CENTRE

Guan Hin is the founder of TGH Collective and the creative change catalyst of the APAC Global Advisory. He has helped Shell, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, P&G, HSBC, Unilever and other global brands improve their market shares and provide business solutions to their marketing challenges. He operates well within this complexity, mixing flawless execution with inspiring creative ideas, staying true to the DNA of each brand.

Guan Hin is a true collaborator, a profound alchemist of creative success, working in close collaboration with creative agencies worldwide such as JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett.

Guan Hin’s role continues to evolve as he delivers insightful creativity that builds on digital and innovative engagement to increase brand preference.

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